Influence of the intrauterine coil on ovum transport and sperm distribution in the monkey

Abstract

Intrauterine coils were introduced per vaginam in adult female monkeys (Macaca mulatta). In coil and noncoil (control animals, superovulation was induced with human urinary gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin. Artificial insemination with electroejaculated semen was carried out daily during the last 3 days of gonadotropin treatment. Approximately 24 hours after the last ovulating injection, ovaries were inspected for fresh corpora lutea and the Fallopian tubes flushed for the recovery of spermatozoa and ova. Among 8 noncoil animals, the recovery rate was 52.4 per cent. Among 6 animals with the coil still in place, there were 15 ovulation points: no ova were recovered. One animal in the coil group yielded 4 ovulation points: 3 ova were recovered, but the coil had been expelled. Spermatozoa were recovered from the Fallopian tubes of 4 of 6 animals. The ovum recovery experiment was carried out after one Fallopian tube had been ligated at the uterotubal junction in 6 coil animals. There was a 42 per cent recovery rate in the ligated side in contrast to 0 per cent in the unligated side. Spermatozoa were recovered in 5 of the 6 monkeys from the unligated side. Three of 6 attempts to recover ova from the uterus were successful (9 corpora lutea, 4 ova). Thus, in the macaque monkey, the presence of an intrauterine device was associated with rapid discharge of ova from the tube into the uterus. Sperm migration remained unimpaired.